Meuse-Argonne Offensive

The Meuse-Argonne Offensive (26 September-11 November 1918) was a major battle of World War I that occurred when 1.2 million soldiers of the American Expeditionary Forces and other Allied countries launched a massive offensive against the Imperial German Army's 5th Army in the Argonne Forest of northern France. The offensive was the largest battle in American history, and the Americans managed to push German forces back towards Metz after clearing the Argonne Forest (with heavy losses), crossing the Aisne River, and taking Sedan. The Americans and Germans were fighting for the hills near Sedan when the Triple Entente and the German Empire signed an armistice on 11 November 1918, bringing an end to the horrific carnage. The offensive was the AEF's bloodiest battle during the war, as 26,277 American soldiers were killed in the battle. The offensive was one of the deciding factors in Germany's decision to sign an armistice with the Allies, as the Americans threatened to recapture all of Alsace and Lorraine due to the success of their assault.